North Carolina Physician’s Assistant Found Negligent in Mother’s Death

A physician’s assistant (PA) was found negligent in the death of a 42-year-old woman from congestive heart failure less than two months after giving birth to twins at The McDowell Hospital in Marion, NC.    The lawsuit was brought by the husband who claimed the defendants did not do all they could to save the life of his wife.

The man will be awarded $667,000 in the case where he was seeking $6.8 million.  The suit was filed against seven doctors, one physician’s assistant, Asheville Radiology, The McDowell Hospital and McDowell Emergency Physicians.  Most of the defendants settled out of court, however, two doctors, the PA and McDowell Emergency Physicians took the case to court.

The woman was diagnosed with pneumonia after giving birth in February, 2008, and was prescribed a medication for treatment upon her discharge.  Suffering from shortness of breath and nausea, the woman returned to the emergency room several times within the following weeks and was again treated for pneumonia.  She was later admitted to the hospital where she was found to have congestive heart failure.  She died several weeks later after suffering a stroke.

The suit claimed the PA failed to perform appropriate tests and failed to appreciate the signs and symptoms of the woman’s condition, among other charges. The PA was the only one found negligent by the jury.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a form of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  Our attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright are experienced and successful medical malpractice litigators and we fight to protect the rights of patients.  Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or fill out our free Claim Evaluation Form.

Medical Malpractice

Iowa to Pay $875K After Hospital Error Resulted in Amputation of Leg

The Des Moines Register reports that the state of Iowa has settled a lawsuit filed against the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after a young girl went to the hospital in 2007 for a stomach surgery, and had to have her leg amputated after she developed compartment syndrome.

The state will pay $875,000 to the now 16-year-old girl who had her right leg amputated and her left leg now suffers a permanent foot drop.  The suit alleged that the girl’s legs were elevated for over 10 hours causing increased pressure to build in her leg muscle compartments, leading to muscle and nerve damage.

The hospital is overseen by the Iowa Board of Regents and the State Appeals Board had to approve the settlement.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a form of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  Our attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright are experienced and successful medical malpractice litigators and we fight to protect the rights of patients.  Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or fill out our free Claim Evaluation Form.

Florida Hospital Settles Suit for $650,000 After Sponge Was Left in Patient’s Stomach

The Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida paid $650,000 to settle a lawsuit against a man with a “retained foreign object and medication error.”  The man also reached a confidential settlement against two radiologists.

The now 68-year-old man was admitted to the hospital in October 2009 to undergo surgery for diverticulitis.  His recovery was slow, and after five months he was in more pain than prior to his surgery.  He went back to the doctor and had several X-rays and CT scans before the surgeon and gastrointestinal doctor found a sponge in his stomach that had been left behind during surgery.

The man declined further treatment at Good Samaritan and went to another hospital to have the sponge removed and a portion of his intestines, due to perforation.  The man also received an incorrect dosage of blood pressure medicine, however, he did not have any lasting issues over that error.

The doctor, two radiologists and the hospital were all sued for the errors.  A settlement with the doctor is still pending.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a form of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  Our attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright are experienced and successful medical malpractice litigators and we fight to protect the rights of patients.  Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or fill out our free Claim Evaluation Form.

Medical Malpractice

Colorado Springs Hospital Pays Medical Malpractice Suit Against Nurses, Doctor Negligence Pending

The Colorado Springs, city-owned Memorial Health System settled a lawsuit filed by an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who claimed her baby suffered severe brain injuries during delivery four years ago.  The now four-year-old is a spastic quadriplegic who cannot stand, sit or walk, and has the intellectual level of a six-month-old.

The city paid $700,000 to the child because the care provided by the Memorial nurses and the doctor “fell below the standard of care” by failing to properly interpret fetal heart monitoring strips that showed the baby in distress during labor, having the mother hold her breath which further depleted the oxygen going to the baby and delivering the baby vaginally rather than performing a cesarean section.

The lawsuit only covered the negligence by the nurses.  The doctor is employed by Peak Vista Community Health Centers which is a Federally Qualified Health Center.  As such, the lawsuit against the doctor will be handled through federal court.  A trial date has not yet been scheduled, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is defending the federal government, has requested a settlement offer.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a form of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  Our attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright are experienced and successful medical malpractice litigators and we fight to protect the rights of patients.  Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or fill out our free Claim Evaluation Form.

Medical Malpractice

$1.25 Million Awarded After Surgeon Was Found Negligent in Gallbladder Surgery

A 67-year-old Ithaca, New York woman was awarded $1.25 million after a jury found her surgeon negligent when a 2007 gallbladder operation left her gravely ill and fighting for her life.   The surgeon at Cayuga Medical Center had been practicing for over 15 years when found at fault.

The woman entered the hospital complaining of an upset stomach when she was told her gallbladder needed to be removed.  The woman’s bowel was unintentionally cut during surgery, yet the surgeon did not inspect the bowel for injury prior to completing the surgical procedure.

Almost immediately the woman became severely ill, exhibiting multiple signs of infection. 32 hours after the first operation, she was operated on again to find the source of the infection, and then to repair the injured bowel.  The woman also underwent four more surgeries, needed a ventilator, and spent two months in the intensive care unit.

The jury found the surgeon negligent in failing to check the woman’s bowel for injury during the gallbladder surgery, and negligent in failing to promptly diagnose the injury, leading to substantial injury. The award included $250,000 for medical, hospital and rehabilitative care, and $1 million for pain and suffering for past and future losses.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a form of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  Our attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright are experienced and successful medical malpractice litigators and we fight to protect the rights of patients.  Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or fill out our free Claim Evaluation Form.

Medical Malpractice

Overdose of Heparin Leads to Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Nebraska Medical Center (NMC) in Omaha has been named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of a child who died at the Center in March of last year after receiving 10 times the amount of heparin she was prescribed.  The 23-month-old child was in the hospital for an infection following a liver, pancreas and small bowel transplant she received there in December 2009.

The parents filed the lawsuit, also naming a dialysis center that provides nurses for NMC, claiming their child’s condition had been improving when a nurse mistakenly gave the girl the wrong dosage of heparin.  Heparin was administered intravenously over a five-hour period.

According to the lawsuit, the overdose caused severe bleeding in the toddler’s brain, excruciating pain during the next 48 hours and, ultimately her death.  The hospital acknowledged that an overdose of heparin contributed to the toddler’s death, but said it may not have been the sole cause.

Overdoses of heparin, which are believed to have caused dozens of deaths over the last several years, led the Joint Commission to issue a safety alert in 2008 urging hospitals to adopt strict measures to prevent such errors.

The Scranton, Pennsylvania attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright have years of experience representing the survivors of wrongful death victims.   For a free consultation of your legal claim throughout the state of Pennsylvania, please submit an online form or call us at: 1-800-318-LAW1.

Wrongful Death

Maine Widow Awarded $6.7 Million in Medical Malpractice Case

The widow of a man who died in 2005 after an ATV accident was awarded $6.7 million by a Maine jury in a medical malpractice lawsuit against Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.  The man was flown to the center after the accident, and according to the lawsuit, the doctors failed to follow up on tests indicating internal bleeding, that ultimately led to the man’s death.

The man arrived at the hospital suffering from several broken ribs, among other injuries, and CT scans ordered by the emergency department physician indicated there was also internal bleeding. The doctors caring for the man failed to follow up on the internal bleeding by not issuing an order for X-rays to monitor the bleeding, according to the suit. Three days later, the internal bleeding caused one of the man’s lungs to collapse, and the lack of oxygen precipitated a massive fatal heart attack.

The jury found that Eastern Maine Medical Center, its doctors and nurses, and the lead physician were negligent in the man’s death.

The award most likely will be reduced due to a cap enacted by the Legislature, although the cap in place at the time of the man’s death will apply.

Our attorneys at Munley, Munley, & Cartwright are experienced in medical malpractice lawsuits and will evaluate your case thoroughly and explore all potential sources of recovery – we fight to protect the rights of patients.  If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  Contact us now at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit an online free Medical Malpractice Claim Evaluation.

Maine Medical Malpractice Case

Woman Sues Dentist for Pulling Too Many Teeth

A Durham woman has filed a lawsuit against a Durham dentist alleging medical malpractice and battery for pulling 24 teeth from her mouth instead of the 6 she agreed to have pulled.

In 2007, the 18-year-old woman went to Durham Family Dental Care to have four wisdom teeth and two molars pulled by Ilias Haralambakis, but when she woke up and the sedation medication had worn off, she found many more teeth had been pulled. 

She is left with six bottom teeth and only two top teeth.  She wears only her top dentures because the bottom ones don’t fit, and she is unable to eat certain foods.  She claims she can’t teach her young son how to brush his teeth because she has none herself.

The complaint states she has suffered “excruciating pain,” her jaw locks up on a regular basis, and she acquired a painful infection in her mouth following the extraction of the teeth.

Our attorneys at Munley, Munley, & Cartwright are experienced in medical malpractice lawsuits and will evaluate your case thoroughly and explore all potential sources of recovery – we fight to protect the rights of patients.  If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  Contact us now at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit an online free Medical Malpractice Claim Evaluation.

Medical Malpractice

$400,000 Awarded In Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Lawsuit

A Northampton woman has been awarded $400,000 in her malpractice suit against a Bethlehem doctor who did not diagnose her breast cancer properly. The jury found Dr. Mark Schadt negligent in his care of the woman.

In April 2004 she found two lumps in her breasts, and in May Dr. Schadt performed a fine-needle aspiration biopsy and the results were negative for breast cancer.  In March 2005 the patient had a second fine-needle biopsy and the results were positive. A month later, after having an excisional biopsy, she was told she had invasive carcinoma stage III cancer.  She had a radical mastectomy on the cancerous right breast and a simple mastectomy on her left breast.

The lawsuit alleged Dr. Shadt should have followed the first biopsy with a more complete biopsy that would have removed a larger tissue sample to test.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a form of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.  Our attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright are experienced and successful medical malpractice litigators and we fight to protect the rights of patients.  Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or fill out our free Claim Evaluation Form.

Medical Malpractice

$5 Million Sought In Botched Colonoscopy

A Winchester, Va. Woman has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit over a colonoscopy she had in 2009 which has continued to cause her medical problems, reports the Northern Virginia Daily.

The then 29-year-old woman went to the doctor in 2009 to evaluate persistent diarrhea.  Following the “prep” for the procedure, she had severe abdominal pain, cramping, nausea and vomiting.  After prescribing something for the pain, the doctor proceeded with the procedure without knowing what was causing her pain. That same day she had to be admitted to intensive care, two days later underwent a second colonoscopy during which her colon was perforated, and had to have emergency surgery to repair the perforation and to remove the obstructed part of the colon.

The patient is seeking $5 million in damages from Dr. Richard John Sears and Winchester Gastroenterology Associates PLC claiming Dr. Sears breached his duty of care by proceeding with the first colonoscopy and then performed a second colonoscopy when a CT scan would have revealed a significant “stricture” that required surgery.  

The suit also claims Sears performed both procedures without the patient’s consent and did not describe the risks or alternatives, caused the second perforation to the colon that developed into sepsis and failed to keep her from aspirating brown fecal-like material among other medical problems.

Our attorneys at Munley, Munley, & Cartwright are experienced in medical malpractice lawsuits and will evaluate your case thoroughly and explore all potential sources of recovery – we fight to protect the rights of patients.  If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim. Contact us now at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit an online free Medical Malpractice Claim Evaluation.

Medical Malpractice